The Sheep In Wolf's Fur
by Yurixchaan
Summary: Yuri is cursed,Will Koga and Umi be able to save Yuri from certain disaster before its too late? KogaxYuri SessxUmi pairings. Story is complete just have to put it on here so bear with me. Reviews welcome!
1. Chapter 1

_Yuri's Story_

The Sheep in Wolf's Fur

_"Stay away from me you stupid bastard! I never want to see you again!" Those words echoed in their minds as the tears fell from her eyes and the scant few feet between them grew to miles. The hurt and agony in her voice resounded in the stone walls of the cavern but they hurt more within. If one could hear the sound of literally breaking hearts then it too would have been heard. She stared at the man she had thought she had loved all these years, the man she still loved in spite of everything but this was unforgivable. He opened his mouth to speak but she shook her head violently. She couldn't hear his voice right now, she didn't want to stare at his pleading and pain filled blue eyes she didn't want anything to do with him anymore. Tears blinded her vision as she took a breath and another step backwards away from him, away from everything. He had betrayed her, had used her and for what? For this? She knew it was right but gods it hurt so much! He reached out a strong tanned hand towards her begging, pleading for her to hear him out again but it was too late. It was way too late. She had to go before she literally fell to pieces. She turned on her heels and ran deep into the forest as fast as her slender exposed legs could carry her. She ran away from him when once before she had run towards those strong comfortable arms. She had to forget about that time now. So instead she let the tears fall from her eyes as she let the branches and thorns dig into her raw flesh not caring that it hurt because nothing could have ever felt the way her shattered heart felt right now. She didn't care about anything right now. Why? Why had he done that? How could he have been so…so damn heartless! And how could she have been so blind to this side of him? Her legs carried her miles and miles away but the memories couldn't be left behind no matter how far she ran. Finally she was forced to stop at the edge of a high cliff, by now the sun had set low on the horizon, casting a brilliant collision of colors across the deep ocean below her. The wind was a soft breeze, picking up her tears and carrying them out and over the edge of the cliff towards the sinking sun. Her clawed hands clenched into tight fists that drew tiny droplets of crimson red blood, tiny rivulets dripping over pale skin. She stood there watching the sun sinking lower into the water, feeling more and more distraught by the second. Why? Why had he done it? What did he stand to gain by doing it? It was so senseless! A sound was welling up from the pit of where her heart had once been, filled with all the anguish and agony that now resided there. It traveled upwards and nearly stuck in her throat before finally she couldn't hold the sound in any longer. The mournful howl erupted from her throat and flowed over the waters. The sound being heard for miles around by other creatures and humans in the area, each one feeling the pain and despair that the sound carried deep within its heart and causing many to have tears spring to their eyes in response. It was the sound of helplessness and agony so deep that there could be nothing to help save the poor soul who emitted it. She let the howl run its course, her energy spent she fell to her knees. Why? Why had the man she loved killed her only remaining family and sister with such cruel ferocity?_


	2. Chapter 2

"I'll see you when I get home mom!" A young girl cried with a smile on her face as she hurried out the front door of their modern Japanese style home. Her dark hair was pulled up into a neat ponytail and trailed behind her as she ran in her green and white sailor school uniform. She crossed the street and hurried towards the next crossing before the lights changed otherwise she was definitely going to be late for school. She really hoped her history project partner was going to actually show up to school today and do her share of the work because honestly enough was enough already. She hated how her teacher always seemed to pair her up with little miss I'm-always-sick-and-can't-ever-come-to-school-so-everyone-else-has-to-pick-up-my-slack. Also known as Kagome Higarashi and the biggest pain in her ass at the moment. She sighed and shook her head before crossing the last street that led to her school where hundreds of other students were already waiting on the multitude of steps. "Hey! Over here Kagome!" A girl shrieked and at once her nerves were slightly put at ease. Good, so she finally decided to show up after all. "Oh good morning Umi-chan! What's up with that face? You look like you smelled someone cut the cheese." Her friend asked her as she walked to her usual waiting spot, her friend in tow. "It's nothing Sanka. I see Kagome finally got over her acid reflux." She jerked her head in the direction of the whiny black haired girl. Umi's friend rolled her eyes knowingly and smiled. "Yeah I guess so. Didn't know it would last a whole two weeks. I swear I just want to punch her so bad with all her fake smiles and stupid high pitched squeal of a voice. Ugh." Umi smiled and hid the giggle behind her long fingers. "Tell me about it!" They laughed as the bell rang and they walked together to their first class. As the class filed in, Kagome included, the noise level seemed to elevate so she and Sanka resorted to texting one another in order to be heard over the noise.

"Take your seats." A sultry whisper of a female voice said from behind the desk suddenly. At once students were sitting and facing towards this new stranger who hadn't been seen walking into the room at all. The door hadn't even been opened it seemed. Umi stared at the woman who was leaning against the chalkboard with arms crossed over her decently endowed bust wearing a blood red dress suit that showed off her perfect curves wonderfully. Her crimson red hair was pulled into a high ponytail but even pulled up it trailed down to the backs of her knees; two pieces on either side of her face framed the pale heart shape perfectly. How anyone couldn't have seen her was a total mystery. There was no way she couldn't have been seen at all by anyone. "Your usual teacher is out with the flu. I am his replacement. Please refer to me as Miss Scarlet. Now let us begin with today's lesson." The woman turned gracefully on her heel and started writing in beautiful cursive kanji on the chalkboard, without even turning around she called on a girl who had raised her hand quietly. "Uhm…Miss Scarlet aren't you going to do roll call?" Miss Scarlet didn't stop writing on the board at all. "I have already memorized your names and faces and as far as I see you are all here. Even Miss Higuashi." Kagome flinched and blushed a beet red, knowing she had been called out. The girl lowered her hand and shrank visibly into her seat. Umi watched the woman as she went about the history lesson and attempted to figure out just exactly where she had met this sultry and slightly sad looking woman. It wasn't obvious for many but for someone who really looked at her eyes they could see the inner pain and hurt that were harboring there. "Now break up into your project teams for the rest of the time and discuss your projects." Scarlet returned to the desk and watched over the class as they quickly went about their business. Kagome found her way to Umi's desk and smiled a hello. "Alright so what do you have finished so far?" Kagome grinned. "More than you. Look by the looks of it you and I have a lot of work to do and a few more classes worth of work is not gonna cut it. Today after school I am going to your house and we are going to get this thing done." Kagome nearly took a step back at Umi's ferocity, Miss Scarlet simply smirked as though she could hear everything that was going on between the two of them. "Well alright but there is no reason to get all snippy about it you know? Haven't you realized I have health problems?" Kagome placed her hands on her hips angrily. Soon after that the bell rang and everyone filed out in an orderly wave. Umi was the last one to leave, Miss Scarlet's gorgeous golden eyes watched her every single move all the way until Umi was well out of sight. It was so weird. Umi quickly shook it off and went about the rest of her day without further incident. Finally she and Kagome were walking towards the shrine where Kagome lived with her family. The whole time she was talking about their history project and attempting to make Umi smile but failing miserably. At long last they were sitting at her table putting everything together when Kagome suddenly stood up and hurried outside without an explanation.

"Oh no she doesn't! Where the hell is she going at a time like this?" She hissed under her breath and following the girl outside. A flash of red caught her eye and she stopped as she opened the front door. "Miss Scarlet?" She whispered in surprise as she saw the strangely beautiful substitute standing in front of her with her hair waving slightly in the breeze. "Call me Yuri. Kagome went into the well house. You should follow. Otherwise you will certainly end up with a blemish on your records." Umi stared at the woman totally shocked. What the hell was she doing here of all places? Miss Scarlet sighed and rolled her eyes, in a blur of crimson Umi was dragging behind the woman towards the well house around the back of the house. "Hey! Let me GO! This is harassment!" Umi yelled and fought against the incredibly strong grip. Miss Scarlet sighed and let Umi go, her golden eyes slightly brighter in the darkness much like an animal's would. "Listen Umi you really need to go down that well there. I can't tell you why exactly but you would be doing a lot of good for the both of us if you just not argue with me and do what I say alright?" Umi glared and placed her hands on her hips defensively, trying to intimidate the strangely intimidating woman. "No you listen! There is no way in hell I am jumping down there just because you say so! All I want is to finish my stupid project!" Umi growled and Miss Scarlet simply rolled her eyes and mumbled something under her breath that Umi couldn't quite hear. In another second she was being held over the edge of the well with one hand Miss Scarlet's face close to hers, making that strange sense of familiarity return tenfold. "Umi. Please forgive me for this. You really need to do this. I promise it will work out in the end. I made some really stupid mistakes….one in particular that was beyond stupid and because of that I need you to help me fix it. Help me before it's too late for us…" Miss Scarlet's eyes were so sorrowful and agonizing that it rendered Umi speechless until she felt a sharp pain in the side of her neck where one of the woman's claw like nails punctured the fragile skin, sending a wave of pain through her bloodstream before Miss Scarlet let go of her. She stared up at the woman in confusion as she plummeted towards her ultimate demise considering the fact that the well was totally dried up at the bottom. "Please help me get back my soul and make it complete again Umi…you're the only one who can…"

All of a sudden Umi was surrounded by a beautiful blue and purple swirling light that somehow brought her a sense of peace which must have meant she was certainly a goner for good. But just as she was getting used to the idea she felt ground underneath of her again, the sound of trees rustling in the wind above her and general forest sounds assaulted her senses. "What the hell?"


	3. Chapter 3

The demoness destroyed yet another useless troll, their bodies piled haphazardly all around her, their blood dripping from her bloodied claws onto the blood soaked ground. "Damn beasts…" She hissed as she glared at the latest victims on her vastly growing list of deceased. Fifty years and for the most part she had refused to remember the past that plagued her dreams but sometimes it caught up to her at the strangest moments. When that happened she usually went on a killing spree, sparing no one in the process. She growled angrily and kicked one of the dead bodies into the nearest tree. Still her heart was missing; stolen away from the innocent and fun loving creature she had once been all those years ago by a beast of a man she had loved. But, she thought as she walked away from the carnage she had left behind, now she loved nothing. There was no such thing as love for anything in the world she lived in nowadays. Her world was stained with the blood of the innocent and the not so innocent, perhaps to kill the way she had once been herself and what she had become in these past few years. Eternal life of beauty and power were a curse when one had nothing or anyone to spend it with. And it was all thanks to that bastard…She clenched her fists and slammed them against the nearest tree, shattering it into nothing but splinters and leaves with the force of her power. How was it that she couldn't get away from the past? She hadn't seen the bastard since that day and yet he plagued her with every turn with all that he had done she knew that she should have sought her revenge right then and there but at the time she simply couldn't take it. It had been too much for her all at once. His betrayal and the death of her sister by his hands were simply too much for her to handle at the time. And since then she hadn't had the nerve or the inclination to go anywhere near that damned bastard. She didn't know exactly how she would react if she ever saw him again. Would she get her revenge and tear his body to shreds like the trolls she had just massacred or would she turn into stone and simply go numb. She smiled to herself sadistically at the thought. She had been numb for over fifty years now. No pain, no love and certainly nothing more than hatred and a deep pain that could not be healed by anything other than going back in time and never meeting him in the first place. She snarled and continued walking only to stop when she smelled something far too familiar that shouldn't have possibly ever been there anyways.

"Damn!" Umi cried when she yet again lost her grip on the side of the well. How hard could it possibly to climb up a freaking well? Finally she took a deep breath and tried yet again, managing to get about halfway when Kagome's voice from below her scared her into letting go and falling back down on top of the other girl. "How did you get down here?" Kagome asked as they got settled at the base of the well. Kagome had a large yellow backpack on as well as a bow and arrows slung over her shoulder. The two of them stood and faced one another. "Miss Scarlet threw me down here. Speaking of which where the hell are we anyways?" Kagome shuffled her feet nervously and looked away from her. Umi glared at her until finally she lifted her eyes and sighed. "Alright I'll tell you as soon as we get up there. Inuyasha! I know you're up there! I'm throwing my bag over and I brought a friend so behave!" There was some grumbling and swearing when Kagome tossed the impossibly large bag over the edge of the well. "Hey! Watch where you're throwing that thing! We kind of have a visitor of our own up here!" Now the two girls could hear the sounds of battle coming from above them and Kagome quickly rushed her way expertly up the side of the well, Umi following her exact movements. When they reached the top all she saw was a blur of red and black moving from person to person so fast she couldn't tell if it was actually doing any damage. "What is it Inuyasha?" Kagome asked standing defensively in front of Umi who was totally entranced by the movement of the red figure. As she watched the figure's movements seem to slow before her eyes, the woman moving in endless graceful motions, two gleaming daggers glistening with droplets of red blood from the four others she was attacking mercilessly. Her hair was so long it nearly brushed against the ground, in fact Umi was surprised that it wasn't interfering with her attacks. "A damn wolf demon! She just showed up out of thin air! Iron reaver Soul stealer!" The man with silvery white hair and two silver dog ears poking out of his head, she assumed that was Inuyasha. There were others in the clearing though, a dark haired man in blue robes was facing off with a golden Buddhist rod, a tall warrior woman held a large boomerang and stood beside a large two tailed cat with flames on her feet. All of them bore the damage of battle, a bloodied arm, an obvious limp, bruises and cuts all over the place. "But wolf demons don't come this far? Is she one of Koga's?" Kagome said and Umi's heart leapt into her throat as the red woman instantly stopped her attack upon the others and turned her golden gaze fully upon a now shaking Kagome.

It was then that she noticed the two silky red wolf ears atop her head swivel and pinpoint on Kagome's voice, two fangs poking out from lusciously red lips, two thin black stripes on both of her cheeks, as well as the cold cruel look of someone who knew exactly how to kill someone and had done it so many times before. It was the look of a woman who had lost everything she had ever cared about and now simply wanted to make others feel her pain and suffering. Before anyone could react the woman had lunged and grabbed Kagome by her throat, easily holding her with her slender, blood covered claws high above the ground while Kagome struggled to breathe. "I belong to no one human. And certainly not to that fucking bastard of a wolf. Do well to remember that in the afterlife." The dark sultry whisper was full of fully intended malice and hatred for everything in the world. Her grip tightened painfully around Kagome's neck at the end of the sentence, causing the others to cry out and launch an attack at the supposedly unsuspecting woman. With a motion that surpassed any words for grace and speed she threw Kagome's nearly limp body towards the others, effectively surprising them and giving her some room to breathe. Next Umi watched in horror as a dark black aura began radiating all around the red woman, without thinking of the consequences she launched herself at the woman and toppled them to the ground. "Umi! Get away from her! It's dangerous!" Kagome gulped out with a hoarse voice. "Oh gods she's transforming into her beast form! And that beautiful young maiden is caught in the middle of it!" The man in the blue robes cried out sadly but Umi couldn't really pay attention to them as she fought against the strange and way too hot flames that were starting to consume the both of them where they sat on the ground. The flames totally engulfed the two of them but no matter how much Umi fought to free herself she found it impossible to move away from the rapidly changing creature beside her. Golden eyes turned completely black, her pretty face lengthened into a powerful looking snout with fangs gleaming dangerously in the light of the fires. Umi screamed hysterically as she was enveloped in darkness completely.

When the light finally started to return she saw a gory and terrible scene lying before her eyes. Blood was spattered everywhere over the rough stone cave walls, a nearly unrecognizable body lay in a heap towards the middle with a couple of furs from a bed on the other side of the cave. "Ane? Ane…" A voice asked in a terrified whisper. She was calling for her older sister…Umi fought to keep the tears from her eyes as the scent of blood nearly overwhelmed her senses…she knew the truth. Ane was not going to respond…Another black out caught her off guard before it too quickly disappeared leaving her standing in the middle of a large clearing surrounded by mountains and trees. In front of her was a handsome man wearing a fur skirt and chest armor, icy blue eyes begging for forgiveness and understanding. "Yuri will you just listen to me for once? I swear upon my honor as a wolf that I did nothing to harm your sister in any way!" The man begged but she wouldn't, couldn't hear him. She had smelled his scent everywhere, mixed in with the blood and nearly hidden but it was unmistakable. The man took a step forward and she snapped. "Stay away from me! I never want to see you again!" She cried as she fought the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes and show just how much this whole thing was killing her inside. She wanted to kill him but she couldn't do it. Her body screamed two different things at her, to get revenge for her sister and herself or to run away and become lost in her grief alone once again in the world with no pack or family ever again. He stepped for her again and she ran away….her vision blurred as images of blood and darkness swirled across her eyes at a dizzying speed.

All she could feel was a burning consuming hatred for the world. It was by far the most powerful thing Umi had ever felt and she fought against the feelings so that she too would not be overcome by them. The light opened up again in front of her as she felt the body around her move to stand on four large clawed paws, staring down at the small group of misfits. '_DIE! All of you shall pay for this cruel mockery of my past! I shall no longer endure it!' _The beast moved all power and grace even down to the movement of her silky smooth fur coating thickly over tight and powerful muscles that held enough force to destroy a small village without any kind of real effort. The wolf stepped forward, great paw springing forth a brilliant display of blue flames, contrasting gorgeously against the bloody red fur as it hit the ground. Umi watched all of this helplessly from what seemed to be inside the crimson woman's own body. '_None of you will survive my wrath! YOU WILL ALL DIE!' _The woman opened her great maw and let out a powerful growl full of all her hate and pain towards the group. Umi was terrified as she felt the body begin moving towards the group with the full intention of going through with her threats and she knew that she would win. There was just no way that they could beat the beast. "STOP!" Umi cried out, surprised when the beast stopped mid strike and snarled in annoyance. '_How dare you get in my way of revenge? You damn illusion!' _The woman hissed and tossed her great head into the nearest tree in an attempt to remove Umi from herself. Umi knew it wasn't going to be that easy though as she felt what she imagined would be pain ripple through the beast's body. Umi hung on for the ride as the beast tossed herself around and around, succeeding only in causing herself pain in the process. _'GET OUT OF MY HEAD!' _The beast cried angrily as she dove for another group of trees and rocks. By this point her body was losing a lot of blood from the multiple scratches and deep cuts all over her too slender body. It was as though she rarely ate as she could feel the ribs and spine pressing against the skin of her body but there was still so much raw power it seemed almost impossible that she could be this thin and carry that kind of muscle. Finally, the beast was totally spent as she stood, drool mixing with blood from a cut lip as she stood panting hard, split tongue lolling out of her mouth, her legs shaking from the sheer weight of her body and eyes heavy with fatigue. _'Stubborn bitch…' _The beast snarled before falling to the ground in a heap, the whole time the flames receded back into the woman's slender body.


	4. Chapter 4

Umi landed neatly in Inuyasha's hands while the woman simply collided with the ground with a resounding "THUD!" that shook underneath their feet. "Are you alright Umi? She didn't hurt you did she?" Kagome asked when Umi was placed on her own feet and she was staring at the woman several paces away from them. "Yeah I'm fine…but will she be alright? She doesn't look so good." Umi asked unable to look away from the unconscious woman, her red hair matted with blood and dirt. "Who cares? She's a full blooded demon, I bet she didn't even feel a thing." Umi rounded on the silver haired man and glared at him angrily, suddenly protective of the woman. "She did! She felt everything! And you should know that she has gone through some really nasty shit in her life so you should care too. Oh if I ever meet that bastard I swear I'll kill him myself! What kind of guy does that?" Umi ranted as she walked over to the body of the woman and knelt down beside her. "What are you talking about? How do you know what she felt?" Kagome asked coming to stand behind her. Without turning Umi shrugged her shoulders and stared down at the still breathing woman. "I could feel it. It was like we were sharing a body or something only I was able to watch through her eyes. But we could talk to one another almost. It was weird. And I think I saw into her memories as she was changing. Her only sister was killed by someone she loved very much and after that she simply went well…feral I guess you could say. It was terrible to watch…" Umi stared down at the woman, frail white skin taut over bones that seemed to nearly poke through, breath shaking her whole body with every rise and fall of her lungs. It really was sad. She had once been such a proud and charmed woman…but because of that bastard she had lost all of that and all of what she had been. And for what? Why would he do something so terrible to someone so pure and sweet like her? Umi reached down and brushed aside the silky red hair from her pale face and was shocked to find the woman crying in her slumber. Umi nearly felt her own heartbreak at the sight. Quickly she turned to Kagome, tears threatening to fall from her eyes as well,

"We need to help her! Please?" Kagome's face nearly mirrored her own. "Are you kidding me? She just came out and attacked us with the full intention to kill every last one of us including you and you expect us to just up and save her crazy ass? I don't think so." Inuyasha crossed his arms and started walking away from the group, not even once looking back until Kagome spoke up. "We can't just leave her here. Don't you have a heart? Just give her a second chance." Inuyasha's silver ears slicked back to pin tightly against his silver head as he turned his amber gaze at Kagome with a deep glare. "You really have no idea do you? Do you even know who that bitch is? Seriously you two must have a death wish to even think that it's a good idea." Kagome returned his glare and folded her arms across her chest, giving off a demanding and intimidating air of power that nearly rivaled the woman still laying unconscious between them. "We are taking her and that is final Inuyasha! You can be so stupid sometimes you know." She rolled her eyes and when Inuyasha didn't bother moving to pick up the woman she turned to Miroku who simply shrugged and did as he was told. With little effort he easily lifted the woman into his arms where she suddenly looked so tiny and fragile, like a glass doll hanging limply, red hair contrasting against the dark blue Miroku's robes. It was almost too depressing to watch as she followed alongside Miroku a concerned gaze constantly trained on her. "You know who she reminds me of Umi?" Kagome asked from the other side of Miroku. "Miss Scarlet. Only like a lot more well in place you know? Like Miss Scarlet totally didn't even look all that comfortable in that suit at all but here she looks well right." Umi looked at the woman again and saw the eerily similar features of the two of them shared. Kagome was right. Miss Scarlet and this woman were like identical twins or something. It was kind of freaky even though she had just somehow just ended up inside of this woman's mind for heaven's sake. "Wait did Inuyasha say she knew this woman?" The warrior woman behind them asked and they saw Inuyasha tense up momentarily. Kagome waltzed right up to Inuyasha and glared at him, daring him to defy what had jusdt been said. "Yeah I know that bitch. She used to come over and spar with Sesshomaru when we were kids but after her pack were killed she and her sister kind of disappeared for awhile. Last I heard her sister had been killed and this one went bezerk. Now everyone who knows anything about saving their asses knows not to mess with her. She shows no mercy and will kill anyone who gets in her way. And on top of that she is barking crazy." Inuyasha rolled his eyes and started walking away again. "Well do you know her name at least?" Umi asked starting to get annoyed with this freak of nature and the fact that he was simply being an asshole was really pissing her off. "I think its Yuri or something like that. I never really cared much to get to know her since she and Sesshomaru were always fighting one another. And she was always kind of quiet and pretty much hid behind her sister all the time in public." Umi looked down at the woman and smiled softly, an image of a much younger Yuri hiding behind a slightly older dark haired girl who was smiling down at her in such a way that gave the little one comfort and strength. She looked so much different than she did now. There weren't any frown lines or pure hatred in her eyes, there was a life in them that made the world look so much less dark. And then she shook her head, confused that an image like that would even pop into her head like it was some sort of memory of her own even though that couldn't possibly be. Finally they ended up on the outskirts of a small village where an old lady with an eye patch covering one of her eyes met them with a glare. "How dare ye think to bring this beast into our home Inuyasha. Do ye not know what she has done these past fifty years?" The woman said angrily.

Inuyasha huffed and tossed his head towards Kagome who was checking on Yuri in Miroku's arms. "Blame her. I told her it was a stupid idea." The woman glared angrily at Kagome who simply shrugged and helped bring Yuri inside of a large hut and placed her beside the glowing fire despite the lady's glares. Once Yuri was settled the wolf demoness frowned and let out a soft growl, her fangs gleaming dangerously in the fire light. "Do you have any idea why she showed up here in the first place? She never travels this close to the mountains if she can help it." Inuyasha shrugged at the old lady who glared down at the wolf demoness sleeping fitfully by the fire, her wounds being treated by a seriously overcautious Kagome while Umi watched curiously. When Kagome started applying disinfectant to Yuri's face, making the wolf demoness moan in pain Umi quickly took over so as to not cause her any more discomfort. She was extremely protective over her for some reason but for now she would simply put that strange thought out of her head and make sure Yuri was alright for now. "Her territory is closer to Sesshomaru's and nowhere near here. She doesn't seem to care much for contact at all with anything so why wander into a known human residence like this?" Inuyasha mused to himself as he watched the woman lying next to Umi who was cleaning her wounds, not even seeming to be paying attention to anything else. "Maybe she's trying to expand her territory or something. To show off her power and all that kind of nonsense you know?" Kagome piped up as she started to cook some food for the large group. "No. Yuri is not one for showing off her abilities to anyone. She is a creature of stealth and cunning, and who also knows her limits. She has been true to her territory for years now, even my sister Kikyo had managed to figure the beast out. Yuri does not go anywhere near the mountains where the other wolf packs reside. For whatever reason she has no desire to become one with a pack of her own and has chosen a life of solitude and sorrow for these past fifty years or so. Ever since her sister died she has grown more and more beast like over the years she has been gone but this is the first time I am seeing her like this. She is so…" The lady stared almost with pity at the thin wolf demoness. "Fragile." The lady nodded in agreement with Kagome and the whole group became silent, watching Umi care for Yuri carefully in the dying light, the firelight dancing in long shadows against the walls of the hut. "It isn't her fault you know. If that jerk hadn't broken her heart in the first place she wouldn't be this way. I swear he will pay for making her suffer alone like this all these years." Umi said softly as Yuri finally started to relax when the pain started to subside a little. Everyone turned to look at her in confusion, each asking with their eyes what it was she was talking about. "What happened to her to make her this way?" Kagome asked staring down at the demoness who looked as though the weight of the world had finally lifted off of her shoulders at long last. Umi brushed aside a lock of matted red hair from Yuri's slowly healing face. "While I was inside her mind I saw her memories I think and they were filled with so much hate and agony that I almost felt like it would take over my own feelings entirely. The first memory I saw was a room covered in blood and gore, her sister lay there totally mutilated and nearly unrecognizable but she was there. Yuri called out to her sister but it was hopeless. And then she was in front of this guy and I could feel everything she felt towards him. She had loved him but he had been the one who had killed her sister. She fought to decide whether to kill him or run away. But her heart wouldn't let her kill the man she loved, no matter what he had done she just couldn't kill him."

Tears started to run down her face at the recollection of the immense agony of the memory. It was horrible to have to go through something like that. "She was really alone in the world. Her family was gone, her sister killed by the man she loved and now she didn't even have him to lean on anymore. She had lost everything that had ever been important to her. What choice did she have but to find some way to keep her sanity? She didn't have a choice. She's angry at the world because it took away everything from her and can you blame her for any of it? It's a horrible thing to go through for anyone." Umi said through her tears, eyes never leaving Yuri's face even once. A single tear fell from the tip of her nose and landed on Yuri's nearly healed cheek, a second later Yuri's long lashes fluttered open and her half open gaze landed on Umi. "Ane-chan…why are you crying? Momma and papa will be home soon…don't cry please?" Yuri said softly, suddenly sounding so innocent and young. And then as Yuri blinked and wiped the sleep from her eyes she realized she wasn't where she thought she was and the hatred and sorrow returned to plague her once again, wiping away all traces of the real Yuri once more. She pushed away from Umi and struggled to stand, managing to prop herself up against the wall, cold eyes glaring at the strange group of misfits. "Where have you taken me and why have you treated my wounds?" Umi was the only one who was willing to speak up to the woman. "Yuri it's alright you're safe now. You don't have to keep fighting anymore. I won't let anyone else hurt you again." Yuri's eyes latched onto Umi at first in shock and what looked like a faint glimmer of hope before it was replaced with hesitation and anger. "Liar. There is no possible way for one such as you to ever let anything happen again. You are merely an imposter, an illusion of the sister I lost. And I fully intend to make you and your creator pay for this indecency. Now prepare yourself for battle." Yuri struggled to stand on her own and faltered, wincing in pain as she fell to her knees. Umi rushed over and was quickly thrown back. "Don't touch me! I can handle myself!" Yuri hissed, fangs gleaming in the firelight. Inuyasha stood in front of her and got down on her level. "Inuyasha. You side with this creature? Then you too have betrayed me. I shall destroy you as well for this." She stood and glared at Inuyasha who stared at her with a strange sadness in his amber eyes. "What happened to you Yuri? You had never been like this. You used to be so quiet and kind, even to me a Halfling who was hated by so many. You had been so much more alive before but now…" He trailed off, eyes never leaving Yuri's who were fighting off some emotion with all her might.

Her eyes narrowed at him and she looked away. "Life happened Inuyasha. I have realized that the world is a dark and horrible place and that life is determined to take away everything that means anything to everyone." She said in a whisper that echoed through the room and made Yuri seem less like a terrifying and powerful demoness and more like a sad little child searching for reasons why it had been her to have to go through all of those terrible things and not someone else? But all of that was gone when she stared up at Inuyasha again. Her cold golden eyes held no emotion, it was as though she had simply shut off her emotions with the flip of a switch. "And now it is time for you to pay for your betrayal Inuyasha. A shame really, I actually had considered you t be my only real friend in this world. But I guess I was wrong." She stood in a defensive pose but Umi could tell it caused her a great deal of pain. Without thinking for her safety Umi rushed up to Yuri and slapped her hard across the face, making Yuri stop instantly and stare at her in confusion. "Now stop it! I am not some illusion and I know you know it. Is this how you repay the people who only want to help you? I swear you haven't changed a bit since we were pups!" Umi slammed her hands over her mouth in shock. Where the hell had that come from all of a sudden? Yuri stared at her in shock and confusion. "What?" Yuri asked in a soft voice still in shock as she placed a tentative hand on her cheek where Umi had slapped her. "I don't know where that came from…" Umi said in a tentative voice and was surprised to find that Yuri quickly deflated and leaned against the wall for support. "Alright fine. I'll behave. But your pot is burning." Yuri said with her arms crossed over her chest as she slid elegantly to the floor and curled up, her golden eyes watching from under thick lashes as Kagome screeched in surprise at the now slightly burning pot.


	5. Chapter 5

Once everything was settled down and everyone had calmed and eaten all they could they had nearly forgotten about Yuri who had managed to sneak back outside during the commotion. She was so confused by that girl who looked so much like her sister but that couldn't be possible. Ane-chan was dead and gone and there was nothing she could do about it. She hopped up to the roof of the hut and stared up at the moon silently. It had been fifty long years since her whole world had crashed down around her and what had she done in all that time? She had run away from her problems, become a feral beast and for what purpose? What did she gain in this vicious cycle of destruction? Did this make her any better than Koga? She sighed and shook her head slowly to herself. "No. It doesn't. All it makes me is a killer and a feral beast." She sighed again and ran a slender hand through her hair, grimacing when she felt how grimy it was under her fingers. She would need a bath soon to get back to her normal cleaned up self. "Yuri? Are you up there?" She heard Inuyasha's voice call from below and she didn't bother responding. After a second she was joined by Inuyasha who simply stared at her for a second before looking up at the moon with her. They were silent for awhile and she wondered why the half demon was even bothering with her. They had been decent enough friends as kids but after she and her family left they had gone their separate ways. "So what brings you all the way over here? I thought your territory was closer to the west?" She flinched slightly and cast a quick glare in his direction. She was silent for a long time before she sighed and flopped down on the roof, her red hair flying out behind her. "I was looking for something." She said softly as she stared up at the sky not really wanting to share the fact that she was in fact searching for Umi and maybe in order to get the revenge she had been wanting against Koga for all these years. "Were you looking for Umi? Or for something else? You do know that there is a wolf pack that lives not too far from here right?" He didn't seem to get the hint as she lifted her red lips in a small snarl, trying to tell him that she really didn't want to talk about it, especially with him. The only one who really knew her situation was Sesshomaru and the reason behind that was so she could have safe lodgings on the southern most part of his lands where few humans and demons dared to roam. She hated how that jerk always managed to weasel the whole truth out of her. Since Umi's murder the two of them had grown decently close enough. The two of them had even had meetings with one another of the past few decades that didn't directly involve killing one another. In fact he had even been known to offer her assistance in certain shady areas of work such as pulling strings and such. Inuyasha didn't seem to notice exactly how annoyed she was starting to get or how dangerously close he was to being ripped to shreds. "I know." She said through clenched fangs as Inuyasha rolled his eyes and smacked her in the shoulder harshly making her yelp in surprise and growl at him audibly.

"You son of a bitch! How dare you touch me you filthy little bastard!" She hissed angrily and snapped her teeth together in a threatening motion towards him but he didn't seem the least bit worried about the life he was about to rid of in about three seconds. In fact he was more than happy to continue antagonizing her. "So are you going to go see that jerk Koga or what? I know about what happened between you two. Umi told us. Seriously are you going to kick his furry ass or what?" For a second she was stunned by the way Inuyasha seemed to want to kill Koga. Basically telling her that she simply had to kill him for everything that he had done. But she knew that even now she couldn't find the damned courage to kill him for everything that he had done to her over the years. Something inside of her just couldn't stomach the fact that there really would be no reason to wander the earth without him in it no matter what he had done. Just knowing that that part of her past was still alive somehow gave her the little bit of ledge for her to hold onto her quickly slipping sanity. "You know I'm right Yuri. He should pay for doing that to you and you know it just as much as I do. Only I'm the only one who really knows who exactly it was had done this to you. That fuzzy bastard has been going after my woman for two years already and frankly I'm sick and tired of his entire stupid ego showing up all the time and messing with her. This is just the last straw right here. If I had known this was the reason for you going crazy in the first place I would have killed him years ago!" Yuri stood taller and stared at him with blank dead golden orbs, making him take a small step backwards in slight fear. She was an awesome sight standing there with the moon at her back, her red hair being carried in the slight wind, golden eyes glowing in the low light like a wolf hiding in the shadows hunting down its sleeping prey.

"You're right. I need to find that jerk and make him pay. It's high time that he got what he deserved. Only thing is that there is no way in hell am I going near him ever again!" She barked and jumped down from the roof, stumbling slightly from her injuries that had still not fully healed and walked into the hut. Golden eyes immediately latching onto Umi's light green ones as she entered. "You come with me." Yuri stated simply before walking outside again, not even bothering to wait for Umi to follow but knowing that she would if she knew what was good for her. "Whoa there killer I don't think so! Umi is not going anywhere with you you freaking psycho!" Kagome's shrill voice irritated Yuri's sensitive hearing and she nearly cut her down right then and there for causing her pain. "Oh? And why should she not?" Yuri asked as she turned and glared dangerously at the human woman, arms crossed over her chest. "Because she doesn't belong here. She wasn't supposed to be here in the first place and there is no way that I am going to let her go anywhere with the likes of you!" Kagome stepped forward in order to protect Umi who was standing behind her. Yuri moved to look behind at Umi who was glaring at Kagome harshly. "And what does she have to say about that? She is of age and able to make up her own mind don't you agree?" Without hesitation Umi walked around Kagome to stand in front of Yuri who was wearing a victorious smirk on her pretty face. "You have been spending way too much time with Sesshomaru Yuri. It's a little creepy." Yuri glanced over to Inuyasha who was staring at her and Umi with a strange look in his eyes. "Let's go." Yuri said to Umi as she started to walk away from the small group. She was glad that her strength was starting to return. It wouldn't be good if she would be unable to protect either her or Umi. The others didn't bother following the two of them, knowing it would still be dangerous to get Yuri even the slightest bit angry.

One the two of them were well out of earshot Yuri stopped and leaned against a nearby tree heavily, her whole body was shaking with the strain of movement. "Are you alright? I knew you shouldn't have been feeling that much better after all that!" Umi cried as she rushed to Yuri's side. Yuri said nothing as Umi helped her to lean up against the base of the tree, wincing slightly with the movement. Finally when she was all settled Yuri looked up at Umi with a small smile of thanks and closed her eyes. Her wolf ears were twitching with every sound, not letting anything go unnoticed even in the slightest. "So why did you bring me with you? I thought you hated me?" Umi asked as she sat next to the peaceful Yuri. "You smell like her." She said simply and Umi was jolted back into another memory that couldn't possibly be hers…

"_**Yuri! I told you not to mess around out by the cliffs! I told you you would get hurt!" She hissed at her younger sister who was currently balling her pretty gold eyes out from a large gash in her leg. "But the fishies smelled so yummy! I just wanted to catch one and bring it for dinner like Ane-chan!" The tiny little red head sobbed. Umi just sighed and grabbed her little sister and dragged her over to the small little waterfall that flowed through their rather large den, a thing that her parents had passed down to them when they and the rest of their pack had been killed several years back by a bunch of angry villagers. "Come on Yuri. Quit fussing! I'm just trying to clean it so it doesn't get infected! Gods you act like I'm cutting your leg off with all of this yelling!" Umi rolled her eyes at her younger sister whose overlarge red ears were flat against her little crimson haired head, tears streaming down her pale face, the paleness only broken by two pitch black stripes on her cheeks."IT REALLY HUUUUUURRRRTTTTTTTSSSSS!" Yuri cried out and yelped when the cold water hit her skin and Umi only sighed heavily. "Stop it! Ugh you are such a baby." Umi flicked her sister on the tip of her nose. For a second Yuri didn't know what to do. Her crying stopped and she just stared at her sister. "Now are you going to cry like a baby or are you going to toughen up and act like the proud wolf that you were born to be?" Yuri sniffled and let the water wash her wound until it went away entirely, not even leaving a scar in the process. "There. Isn't that better?" Yuri nodded and smiled brightly up at her sister. "Yup! All better! Thanks Ane-chan! I'm gonna go show those fishies whose boss now!" Umi called out to her sister but it was too late. A few minutes later Yuri was walking back in covered in scratches and a whole bunch of writhing fish in her tiny arms….**_

"So where exactly are we going?" Umi asked as the two of them sat there together. "I haven't decided yet. Although it has been awhile since I last saw Sesshomaru." Yuri said with her eyes still closed, thinking to herself at the same time, 'maybe he has some idea as to what happened…' If there was anyone who would know if it was the real Umi then it would be him. At the moment she had become partial with the strange girl who had somehow managed to find it in her heart to take pity on her for the trials she had been put through. She wasn't in the right state of mind to make a decision about her. "Who's he? Is he a demon too? Is he that guy that did all that stuff to you?" Umi's eyes narrowed at Yuri who simply shook her head. "No. He's Inuyasha's elder half brother."

Yuri fought against the urge to hiss as the pain became nearly unbearable for her. She needed to rest for at least another day or so before her self inflicted wounds would be able to heal properly. But they couldn't heal while she was like this. The flames of hell that allowed her to change her shape would rapidly increase the time it would take in order to heal but she wasn't sure exactly how long she would need to stay in that form or how it would affect Umi. She opened one of her deep golden orbs to stare into Umi's lighter green ones. "I must shift into my other form. The wounds will not heal properly if I do not. I must remain in my beast form for at least a couple of days. Please stand back." Umi hesitated but Yuri really didn't care. She knew that at least in her beast form she would not be attacked or feel as much pain as she was feeling right now while she healed herself. Without another word Yuri closed her eyes again and summoned the flames that would consume her humanoid form and change her into true form. She heard Umi quickly rushed off to give Yuri enough room for her massive form to release into the immediate area. After taking a deep breath Yuri let the fires take over, burning through all her layers of barriers that she had put into place over the years to keep her true power concealed from the rest of the world. The last hundred years or so of her life flashed before her eyes through the flames that consumed her entire body. The first half she always hated replaying over and over again. The happier years of her young life seemed like a distant dream in the living nightmare she walked through each day. But after everything with _him _things became blurred and mingled so intensely with blood that she hardly recognized the past and present versions of herself. But it was all his fault anyways. Yuri reveled in the feel of the fur exploding all over her pale skin, layering over her protectively like a warm blanket, the feel of the earth under her massive paws as she stretched her toes and dug them into the ground slightly and creating deep furrows in the process. She loved being this way, her true form was just so freeing. Once the flames died down and she was fully formed she focused her ebony black eyes towards Umi who was hiding behind a nearby tree with fear in her eyes.

Yuri blinked slowly before lying down on the grass and allowing her massive fluffy tail to curl around her back paws, inviting Umi to come closer now that it was safe for her to do so. Umi approached hesitantly, looking as though she wanted to touch Yuri's silky red and black fur but too afraid to do so. "Go ahead. Besides it gets cold at night around this time of year and I would rather not risk a fire just yet. We can eat when we get to my den later tonight but for now I must rest." Yuri said softly, her velvety voice meaning to soothe and not frighten away the suddenly skittish Umi. Umi walked over and placed a tentative hand on Yuri's large furry shoulder surprised exactly by how amazingly soft her fur was. "You're lonely aren't you?" The question startled Yuri but she refused to show this woman just how surprised she really was so she simply huffed proudly and stared up at the moon that hung heavy in the inky black sky above them through the parting of the trees. "I am a wolf. I have traveled alone for many years now but I am not lonely. I don't need anyone." Yuri said, feeling Umi sit beside her, resting her black head against Yuri's side. "Yeah right. I was in your head remember? You miss them don't you?" Yuri turned her great head to look at Umi with one of her black eyes which Umi realized with a shock that they weren't entirely black exactly. As a matter of fact a whole bunch of beautiful jewel toned colors swirled and mixed to the point that they looked black from a distance. It was actually a very beautiful sight. "Your sister? Your family and even that guy of yours. I can tell that they meant a lot to you and I could tell how much it hurt you inside to have that happen to you." Yuri remained silent, unsure of what to make of this strange woman and all of the truth that was currently pouring out of her mouth. "Yes. I do miss them." Yuri said with a voice that seemed thick with past emotion that was simply begging to be released but could not. "Tell me about your sister? What was she like?" Umi asked feeling that this would somehow explain the strange memories that were popping up all over the place in her head. Yuri took a slow blink and half chuckled half sighed as she made herself a little more comfortable to tell her story. "She was my elder sibling. And she was my idol, I very literally worshiped the very ground she walked on and it annoyed her so much. She and you look similar although she was much older when she was killed than you are now and not quite so naive in the ways of the world." Umi blushed slightly though she couldn't quite figure out the reason why. "When our parents and our pack were killed she and I roamed together, eventually returning to our original den where I still reside to this day. She was…" Yuri licked her lips and thought of the word to describe her sister as Umi sat transfixed, "she was almost like a mother to me since I was much too young to really know my own mother and at the time still didn't quite grasp the concept of death. She was strong and kind, a lot like a princess would be if she had ever been one. She was a true lady but couldn't cook to save her life. She once nearly burned the whole damned forest down one night!" Yuri chuckled fondly and lay her head down between her front paws, eyes lost in a faraway place, the swirling jewel tones nearly captivating Umi to the point of hypnosis.

"But as I got older the two of us felt the need to mate and so for the most part we stayed pretty close to one another, I with…and she with her potential mate." Here her brows furrowed into a frown and her lips lifted in a silent snarl of distaste. "While I was away doing things with the rest of my potential new pack members I returned to my den to find my sister in a pool of her own blood, slaughtered nearly beyond recognition. I'm sure you can guess what happened afterwards…" Yuri closed her eyes, breaking the spell that had captured Umi effectively. Umi lifted a hand to her cheek and pulled away to realize that she had been crying without realizing it. Yes she had seen the gruesome aftermath of her sister's murder through Yuri's eyes and had seen the end of the one man she had ever loved. It was a horrible thing to have gone through and the worst part was that it had been so cold and heartless. Umi couldn't find the words that would bring comfort to the giant wolf demoness so instead she simply placed her hand on the great shoulder and smoothed the fur that lay under her palm, stroking it slowly as the wolf slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning Umi awoke to being carried on Yuri's back, the gentle swaying motion betrayed the immense speed at which they were currently traveling. Umi quickly grabbed hold of Yuri's thick fur between her shoulder blades and tried not to get sick at watching the green and brown blur of trees flying past her with such terrifying speed. "You're awake. It will only take a couple hours to get to Sesshomaru's castle. There is food in the small pack attached to your waist. Please eat because your stomach is making me want to puke with all that disgusting gurgling its doing back there." Umi rolled her eyes before looking down and noticing a small canvas pouch tied to her waist by a thin cord made of leather and fur. Hesitantly she opened the pouch with one hand and was surprised by the amazing smell of deer jerky, a small wedge of what smelled like sharp cheddar as well as a half loaf of bread and a small leather canteen full of what smelled like water. All of a sudden her stomach let out a deafening growl and Yuri cast a baleful eye towards her over her shoulder, never once breaking her easy going stride. Umi blushed slightly and quickly dug into the wonderful smelling food without another thought. For awhile they remained in silence, Yuri's loping ground covering stride never breaking as Umi stuffed her face full of much needed food. After Umi had finished she smiled happily and leaned down over Yuri's back, allowing the wind to ripple past her face and actually enjoy the feel of the speed through Yuri's slender body. She wondered how it would feel if she was the one to be running, her massive paws digging into the earth, claws making deep gashes into the soil, the feel of the wind as it passed over her silky black and green fur…

"_**Wait for me Ane-chan! I can't run that fast yet!" A little Yuri panted from behind her, she was really cute standing there, her red, black and white fur contrasting with the greenery around them. She was just a little puppy with overlarge paws and ears that she hadn't quite grown into just yet but judging by their size Yuri would grow into a formidable creature of power. Yuri's tongue lolled out of her mouth and was breathing heavily as she sat down on her haunches under a tree. "You still run too fast sissy….I'll never be able to catch up to you…" Yuri sighed sadly, pouting as she looked at her sister. Umi rolled her eyes and made her way back to the little puppy and rubbed her head against Yuri's much like their mother always did when they were feeling down about something. "Alright Yuri. I will give you a head start back to the den and I promise not to cheat. I'm sure momma and papa will want to hear all about how you beat me in a race for once alright?" Yuri's ears perked up and her eyes sparkled with hope. "O.K! Let's go!" Yuri took off running back towards the den with Umi patiently counting down from ten, knowing she could easily catch up to Yuri if she wanted to but knew that her highly competitive younger sister would become a sore loser and would whine and pout about losing until Umi let her win again. After ending the countdown she raced off after her sister, catching up so that she could see Yuri's happily bouncing tail not too far ahead of her. Umi smiled but her smile quickly faded as they got closer to the den. Yuri's senses were still not as sharp and she was too distracted to notice but Umi recognized the scent of blood right away. "Yuri! Stop!" But it was too late…**_

Umi snapped out of her head with a jolt. "How did your parents die?" Yuri didn't stop running but for a moment she did break her stride and nearly stumble at the sudden question. "My sister and I were out running, she was trying to get me used to running so that I would be able to keep up the pace with the rest of the pack. But I was still a very young pup and had a difficult time keeping up. So my sister took pity on me and allowed me a head start back to the den. But I wasn't paying attention and didn't see the signs of battle all around me. I ended up finding my parents bodies skinned and lying on the floor of our den along with the rest of our pack. We were peaceful people and had no real enemies at all. But the villagers from the town for some reason got it into their heads that we were creatures of evil and knowing that the younger ones were out of the way they moved in for the attack. They knew that if Umi and I had been around our parents and our pack would have become invincible." Yuri grumbled as she raced through the trees that were becoming more and more spaced apart. "After that Umi raised me and took care of me as I grew up. She sacrificed so much to make sure I was taken care of." Yuri's pace began to slow a bit as the trees ahead of them started to thin to the point that only a few of them remained in their way. "When she was killed I went off on my own for a while before meeting up with Sesshomaru and staying with him until my health returned and I was able to take care of myself on my own. He and I have a sort of understanding of sorts but neither of us really much care for the other all that much." Umi watched in awe as they broke through the trees and stared at the large castle that stood atop a grassy hill where there were plenty of wildflowers surrounding it. Yuri's large body moved slowly as she walked through the large grassy field towards the castle almost as if she were waiting for something to pop out at any moment. "Remain still for a moment…" Yuri growled deep in her throat as she crouched low against the ground, almost in a stalking position and silently she crept forward slowly silently asking Umi to get off and hide in the taller grass, watching Yuri nearly disappeared as she got down lower in the grass. The only thing remotely visible was the very tip of her fluffy tail, twitching slightly as if in agitation. Umi didn't realize she was holding her breath until she gasped when Yuri launched herself at something Umi couldn't quite see yet. A second later Yuri was standing tall with a trail of smoke burning across her snout, her rainbow eyes swirling violently with a little bit of light in them that Umi hadn't seen before. "Ugh! Sesshy! Not the face! That was the damn agreement!" Umi heard Yuri growl angrily and watched as she sat on her haunches with a snarl on her lips while staring at something that she couldn't see.

"Damned wolf…" She heard a rumble of a male's voice that somehow struck a chord in her chest and made her heart leap high into her throat. She knew that voice. Somehow no matter how impossible it may have seemed she knew that voice even if she knew she had never once before heard it before now she had a feeling that she wouldn't ever forget a voice like that in a million years. "Stupid dog. At least I don't infringe on the agreements that two very sensible people make about things like this. Hey I need you to stop looking at me like you have a stick shoved up your rear and act like your usual dick self alright?" It was silent for awhile, so silent that Umi was nearly sure that the world had stopped as a tall white haired man with violet stripes similar to the ones on Yuri's cheeks stood and faced Yuri with cold yellow eyes. "Or you can just totally ignore me and stare at me instead. You know your choice. Dick…" Yuri snarled but Umi could tell there wasn't much real anger in her voice but Umi couldn't tear her eyes away from the absolutely gorgeous man standing there in his armor and the strange white fluffy thing flowing in the soft breeze that had picked up around them. "I brought you a present by the way." Yuri smirked evilly as the wind changed directions so that it was coming from behind her and towards where the two of the demons were standing. Umi watched as the white haired man took a delicate sniff of the winds and latched his eyes upon her as she stood there mesmerized by his looks. "Fetch." Yuri smiled as she watched Sesshomaru take a tentative step forwards, his yellow eyes faceted upon Umi's body, almost making her feel uncomfortable but at the same time lighting a warmth inside her chest that she had never before felt. "Go get her puppy…go on…go get her!" Yuri egged him on using the same tone of voice that one would use with a little puppy or a baby.

For a second Umi wanted to just kick Yuri in her smug wolf face for being absolutely ridiculous but when she returned her gaze to the man she found that her lips were currently being held captive by his. For a moment she was shocked by the fact that he had gotten to her so quickly but then she started to relax into the feel of his lips moving against hers and then she stiffened in his strong and absolutely wonderful arms. What the hell was going on here? Who exactly was this guy to begin with and why exactly was he kissing her as though he had kissed her multiple times before and why in the hell was she letting him? At the same time she stiffened the handsome demon male stepped away, confusion and hope showing in his eyes as he looked at her, effectively blocking out the world around them. In the next moment it was replaced by sadness and then nothing as he turned away from her to stare at Yuri. Umi looked around him and saw something there in her eyes that looked like jealousy and immense sorrow before it too was replaced by blank emotion. "Come." Sesshomaru said coldly and was gone the next instant, the only sign of his being there being the soft motion of the swaying grasses in his wake. Yuri walked over to Umi and allowed her to get on her back once again making their way towards the castle at a much slower pace than Sesshomaru had taken.

"What was that all about?" Umi asked, still shaken at the whole scene. Yuri didn't say anything for a moment but Umi was patient. Finally Yuri spoke up though she could tell it was full of emotion that she didn't dare show the rest of the world. "It was a test. And you passed it with flying colors. I'm sure Fluffy there thinks the same thing. You've been gone for a long time Umi; I think it's high time you get reacquainted with the world you once knew." Yuri said thickly although there was something odd about the way she said it. It was almost as though she was trying hard not to burst into tears in front of her. The two of them were silent as they walked up to the castle where the large wooden doors were already opened and waiting for the two of them to enter. Before entering Yuri let Umi down again and stepped away in order to shift back into her humanoid form though this time she still had a tail and her ears showing. "He's in the front room. I need to go to the infirmary and get my wounds taken care of. JAKEN! GET YOUR GREEN ASS OVER HERE RIGHT NOW!" Yuri bellowed and she watched as a tiny green toad like thing hurried down the steps and landed right at Yuri's feet. "I do not like to answer to the likes of you wolf but my lord Sesshomaru has forced me to so what do you want?" He croaked out and Yuri glared down at him in disgust. "Show Umi to Sesshomaru and make sure she gets there with as little lip service from you. If you don't then I'll skin you alive and hang you upside down by your toes. Umi if he gets out of line just kick him." Yuri said and walked away, not leaving before sending another warning glare at the toad who shrank back in terror. Umi watched Yuri walk away; head held high with pride and grace but as she walked away Umi could see something glistening from her eyes, a trail of it on her pale cheeks. Umi watched her until she disappeared around the corner. "Follow me." The little imp croaked and grumbled under his breath as he walked towards the doors in between the two elegantly curved marble staircases on either side of the large room. Somehow she was suddenly nervous to see this Sesshomaru again without Yuri's strength standing beside her. Soon she was standing before the man who was staring out the window with his back to her, his lengthy white hair nearly brushing the floor.

"Damn dog…" Yuri snarled as she smashed her hand through a mirrored glass forcefully. Why did seeing the two of them together make her feel this way? She should be happy that it really was her elder sister returned to her and that she had reunited with her mate after all these years. But why did she have to feel as though the world had suddenly become nearly unbearable? She felt the warmth of her red blood inch its way down her pale arm before it dripped down onto the white floor, staining it red. Tears streamed down her face as she knelt to the ground, allowing the cold of the marble under her to keep her steady. Why did she have to feel as though she wanted to just go back to the way it was before Umi had returned? It killed her to feel this raw sense of jealousy for the very sister she had longed to be with all these long years. And yet her heart was torn into pieces. At the very sight of seeing Sesshomaru embracing the one he loved and seeing his love returned however briefly she felt her heart wrench right out of her chest. She longed for the touch of the one she had loved so long ago but she knew that it was impossible to forgive the unforgivable. Maybe that was why she wished that she had never allowed the two of them to reunite? Maybe she was jealous of the love that she knew the two of them would share while she remained alone and always outcast from the rest of the world. She allowed the sobs that she had held in all these years to escape her, mingling with the small pool of blood on the floor under her. She could never go back to the way things were between her and Koga. Too much had happened…maybe it was better if she simply left Umi here with her beloved and return to her den on her own where she would live out the rest of her unnaturally long life alone and bereft of the love she had once felt for a man who stole her heart. Wiping away the tears Yuri cleaned her off and stared at the little girl who stood staring at her with tears in her wide young eyes. "Yuri? Rin doesn't like to see you cry like this! What's wrong with Yuri-sama?" The little brown haired human girl sobbed, running to embrace the wolf demoness with her tiny arms. "Rin is so sad for Yuri-sama!" The girl cried and Yuri lifted her into her strong arms, holding her close. "Don't worry Rin. Yuri will be okay I promise. So don't be so sad for me alright? Now let's go see Sesshomaru-sama alright?"


	7. Chapter 7

Sesshomaru simply stood there as she looked at him. He was by far the most amazing man that she had ever laid her eyes on. His white hair framing his handsome face and making the violet stripes on his face stand out brightly against his pale skin. Just looking at him made her want to hear him speak again, to say anything to her no matter what he said. "You have made a lot of people very upset Umi." Umi was taken aback by the words he spoke to her. For some reason they stung and nearly made her hang her head in shame. Sesshomaru still didn't turn to her but his hand did move. The sunlight caught a glint of silver in his hand that she hadn't noticed before. "Yuri especially has been hurt beyond repair. Even as we speak she is harming herself in order to be able to feel again. She bleeds for you Umi and you left her. Leaving me to pick up the pieces, most of which can no longer be found." Umi's gaze was consumed by him and the glinting silver chain in his hand. She remained silent, knowing that somehow he was right even if he was being a major jerk. He was silent for what seemed like an eternity before he finally turned around, his eyes not looking at her but at the thing in his hand and she found that she too was transfixed by it. "I hope you know that she has gone through so much because of you. I hope you know how much the both of us have gone through because of you…" He tossed the silver chain and she caught it at once a million images running through her mind as she captured the cool metal and held it close to her chest.

_**Yuri as a newborn pup, her pretty smiling golden eyes staring up at her with adoration, her too large ears dominating her head…she and Yuri playing together while their parents watched…Yuri and Sesshomaru as pups fighting one another with nothing but fangs and claws while their fathers watched, judging and correcting them and Umi waited her turn patiently…the day her father told her that Sesshomaru was to be her mate and how amazingly happy she was to know that the man she knew she loved was to be hers forever…the day when Yuri first met Koga and how perfect they were for one another even though Yuri punched him in the face…watching Yuri fall in love with the tall man with true love in his blue eyes as he watched her every move and knowing Yuri watched him the same way…the sadness when their parents were killed…the times when she and Yuri lived together and she was forced to grow up in order to take care of the still so young pup on her own…when Yuri was old enough and left to go live with Koga and his pack while she went to live with Sesshomaru…the first time he told her how he felt about her…the first time he kissed her…the first time they came together as mates…then she came to tell Yuri about it but Yuri wasn't home…she was out with Koga but she decided she would wait but there was someone else here with her…who's there? Why can't she smell them? Why couldn't she move? What was going on? She screamed as poison ran through her body unchecked but she heard no noise come from her lips. It had dark hair like Koga but it didn't seem like Koga exactly…something was off about his smell…it smelled like decay underneath everything else…where was Yuri? Why couldn't she hear her? Why couldn't she fight back? Tears fell from her face and she felt her body being torn apart but she could do nothing to stop it…"Ane-chan?" A small voice filled with agony rang out amongst the cave walls but there would be no answer…Yuri knelt beside the blood covered body of her sister and wept, not caring that blood stained her clothes and her skin, not caring if the world itself ended at that moment and destroyed everything in it…for to her the world had already been taken from her…she stood and gathered her sister into her arms, blood still raining to the ground with each movement as she built a small funeral pyre and lay her sister's remains atop of it, eyes raining with tears that seemed endless as the flames slowly consumed what remained of her sister and whatever remained of Yuri's world…by the time the ashes had cooled the eyes that had tears in them had hardened to cold stone…she scooped up the ashes and placed some inside a small silver locket and placed it around her neck…Yuri stood in front of Koga and watched his eyes cloud over with pain but nothing could match the agony Yuri was feeling…they had been soul mates…mated under the full moon the night before Umi's death…and this was how he betrays her…she could see the pain but didn't want to imagine him ever touching her…trying to console her in a way that only he could…she never wanted to be held in his arms again…never wanted to hear him tell her he loved her never wanted to see him…she fought against everything not to kill him because she knew he would let her if it meant that she would stop crying…**_

_**he would die for her and she knew it but she simply couldn't do it…so she ran…she ran until the ground ran out from under her feet and she was forced to stop…she held the locket in her hands and felt her barriers breaking one by one, the locket fusing into her very soul as she transformed into the massive and amazingly stunning wolf…her fur glistened in the dying light, her paws so massive and obviously powerful enough to destroy a whole village, rainbow eyes consumed by grief and inner agony as she lifted her massive head and released a howl that rang out over the island and over the waters causing the whole chain to listen to the powerful voice that cried out her grief to the world…even stopping a small skirmish between two kingdoms as the soldiers lay down their weapons and saw the destruction they had wrought on one another…the war stopping right then and there as they listened to the painful song of the lonely wolf…Sesshomaru lifted his silver head from his work and listened to the sound and knew at once who it was and why Umi was so late coming back…Yuri traveled to him, her once glorious fur covered in grime and her once strong body barely able to hold itself together as the bones protruded from her skin sickly…her once bright eyes dark and lifeless…Sesshomaru saw her try to lift her head and saw the truth in them without her saying a word…she fell and hit the ground, several of her bones snapping at the impact but she didn't once cry out for she could no longer feel the pain…she could feel nothing at all but numbness and grief and rage…Yuri lay in the care of Sesshomaru's healers for months and never once made a sound…it was as though with Umi gone she could no longer find a reason to speak let alone live…the castle was a silent fortress both powerful demons refusing to say anything but knowing the pain they each shared and carried together…Yuri returned to semi good health but she remained dangerously underweight and refused to eat hardly anything…still she said nothing…her world was broken into a million tiny pieces and she couldn't find her way out of the darkness…she moved as though she walked her death march, slow and painfully aware of all eyes on her though she dared not give them the time of day…Koga hadn't dared come see her for the mere mention of his name sent her into a boiling rage that could only be calmed by bloodshed…she was an animal now…she hadn't walked on two feet for nearly fifty years but then something started to change…**_

_**Sesshomaru brought home a small human girl who was so full of life and joy that there was never a time when she wasn't smiling…Yuri lay in the field eyes focused on other things and mind locked in the past…Yuri-sama, you are always so sad….please don't be sad…Rin made you a pretty flower ring see? Yuri turned her massive wolf head and focused on the tiny human child so innocent and carefree that she felt a crack develop in her wall of silence…the human girl rarely left Yuri's side for months…finally Yuri had become comfortable enough to even let the girl touch her…the two of them would sit there in the field Rin making flowers and talking a million miles a minute about anything and everything…Yuri watched as Rin started sneaking up on Jaken and he turned to smack her across the face with his staff only to be stopped by Yuri's deafening bark…NO! Yuri yelled at the tiny green imp who very literally peed his undergarments as he stared up at the overlarge wolf who stood protectively over a frightened Rin…It was the very first time she had spoken since her sister's death and it felt good…now she had something to take care of and protect, she had something to live for…she and Rin became good friends…then it was time for her to leave and go on her own…she would visit Rin every so often and would always be there for her when she called…she roamed…Yuri's paws dug into the ground as she ended up in front of her old den…she caused havoc on those who crossed her but never harmed children…finally she came to stop as a scent filled her nostrils…she saw a person that she had thought was long gone and her heart collapsed again upon itself…**_

The rest of the images were familiar as she remembered the time spent in Yuri's mind as were the thoughts that raged through her head. The little locket had grown hot in her hands as the images of a past she had long forgotten flooded through her mind. She knew everything now. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks as she stared at the locket, an image of a wolf and a dog engraved upon it. She knew it to be the same locket that Yuri had worn around her throat, the same one Umi had worn on the day she died, the same one that Sesshomaru had given it to her as a mating present. It held the ashes of her former self inside its completely fused shut locket. Sesshomaru moved towards her and held her in his strong arms. "She went through all of that alone? How?" Umi cried not caring that she looked weak in front of this man for she knew that he would be there for her no matter what. She also knew that there was something stirring inside her chest that was just itching to get out and sink her claws into the raw earth. Somehow she restrained it but only barely as she heard Yuri and a tiny little human girl walk in together. "What'd I miss?" Yuri said when both Umi and Sesshomaru turned to look at her holding the little girl in her arms expertly. "Yuri!" Umi cried and ran to hug her sister close, catching the demoness of guard. "See Yuri-sama? She does remember you!" The little girl giggled hugging the two sisters and smiling brightly when Yuri's ice cold eyes started melting a little.

Yuri leaned back in her seat of comfortable cushions and let Rin play with her hair with a content smile on her face. Umi stared at the woman that had been through so much all these years. It was strange to see her smiling so carefree and vulnerable like this, almost like she had been when she was a pup. "Yuri-sama do you want Rin to get some pretty flowers for your hair?" Yuri smiled and the girl ran off to gather some wildflowers to weave into her crimson hair, Yuri's eyes watching the girl closely. "You really like her don't you?" Yuri flicked her gaze over to where Umi was sitting next to Sesshomaru. "Yeah she's kind of like my little sister." Yuri said returning her protective gaze to the happy young girl who was singing a song as she picked flowers. They were sitting in Yuri's room on the bottom floor that had a ton of fluffy cushions lying around, a small table and several beautiful bonsai trees trimmed to perfection and a small stone garden that was raked to absolute perfection. The room was a picture of perfection, nothing was out of place and it was all very white and a soft shade of baby blues. Yuri was sitting on a rather large cushion that was the only black piece of furniture in the room, her body half way facing the wide open double doors that led out onto a large porch with a couple of steps that dropped down right into the middle of the wildflower fields that surrounded the castle. "Hey thanks for taking care of my stuff Fluffy. I actually thought you were going to have them all thrown out or something after the last time I was here and I kicked your ass." She winked at the stoic dog demon who simply readjusted in his cushion next to Umi and crossed his arms over his chest. "The thought had occurred to me."

Yuri rolled her golden eyes and smiled when Rin had come back in carrying a whole bunch of flowers in her arms a huge smile on her face. Yuri leaned back so that her lengthy crimson hair trailed the floor, the sun glinting through the strands and making them stand out even more against the white and blues. Her long legs were pulled out in front of her, and she was wearing a black and red kimono that ended at the middle of her thighs and her feet were wrapped in black leather but with her toes exposed. She really was beautiful but she also knew that Yuri was by far the most dangerous thing in the room, even more so than Sesshomaru sitting next to her. "There! All done Yuri-sama! You look so pretty!"Yuri lifted her head, crimson hair filled with yellow, white, purple and blue wildflowers interwoven with her silky strands. Yuri reached behind her and grabbed Rin, placing the little girl on her lap and started expertly weaving flowers into the girl's hair in multiple intricate braids before braiding them into a single braid. "There! Now we match! Don't we look pretty Sesshomaru-sama?" Rin jumped off of Yuri's lap and ran to sit in Sesshomaru's waiting lap, his yellow eyes softening as the sight of the little human girl. "Yes. You look fine Rin. It's time for your lessons now so you best be going." The girl grinned at the compliment and hugged Yuri good bye, waving at Umi before running to her lessons.

Once Rin was out of earshot Yuri turned her attention to the two of them, golden eyes piercing them both. "So," She said as she stood up and stretched her cramped muscles elegantly, "when do we begin her training Fluffy? I bet she hasn't even once picked up a kitchen knife much less a sword or a dagger in ages." Yuri winked at her sister and Umi frowned slightly. Her hand traveled to her throat where the ashes of her former self hung encased in the locket that she now wore. "It isn't my fault you know. Where I come from people don't exactly go around carrying weapons in plain sight." Yuri stopped stretching and looked at her in confusion. "Then how do you slay your enemies? How do you protect your loved ones?" Yuri asked, tilting her head slightly to the side in confusion, a slight frown creasing her forehead. Umi didn't want to reveal that there were a lot of other ways to protect people in her time mostly because she knew it would confuse them both and she really had no idea how they would take it. "Well it's kind of complicated. But they do have ways to protect themselves. And besides I could still kick your lazy bum Yuri!" Yuri winked and walked to the back of her room that was shielded by several sheer curtains that covered where her bed and another two doors were hidden. "Let's see for ourselves then." She walked through the door to the left and inside it was filled with light coming from above. The entire ceiling was covered in glass panels while the rest of the walls were white stone. "Ugh! Fluffy! I told you not to paint this room white again! It was supposed to be grey and blue to match my room!" Sesshomaru remained silent as he moved to the other side of the rather large room that had weapons against the walls on all sides and a large Tanami mat on the floor. "Now first lesson!" Yuri walked to the other side, facing off against Sesshomaru as though she had done this a million times and was comfortable for her to face off against the powerful Inu Lord. And that was when she remembered that Yuri had indeed done this a million times before.

As kids she and Sesshomaru had been pitted against one another by their fathers while Umi was forced to take lessons on being a lady with the rest of the women. Sometimes she was jealous of Yuri always having the free time that she never seemed to have but then she realized as a second born and not an heir to her parents Yuri had other problems that she couldn't comprehend. So she watched as Yuri pulled out two silver and black handled daggers and dipped into a defensive crouch while Sesshomaru stood there with his knees slightly bent, yellow eyes watching her every single move. "This is just going to be close combat for today but eventually you'll get back to using a sword like Fluffy over there. Now watch and learn and try to keep up." Yuri focused onto Sesshomaru and for a second the world seemed to stop moving altogether, like the calm before the storm as each of the combatants took a soft breath not even once blinking and then in the space of a few seconds they were fighting. Yuri's crimson hair mixed with the white blur of Sesshomaru's hair. The both of them were so focused as they lunged and parried one another expertly nearly evenly matched and neither seemed able to make any kind of headway against one another. Finally Yuri made a lunge and quickly backpedaled, faked a trip and got in under Sesshomaru's guard her silver dagger barely touching his pale throat. "Touched." She said simply and backed away from Sesshomaru who was fighting the urge not to growl at her in anger. Yuri walked back to Umi who was smiling slightly at the defeated look on the proud lord's face. Yuri looked like she had just swatted a fly, as though she had beaten the lord so many times before that it was almost second nature to her as breathing. "I think these should be returned to their rightful owner." Yuri said seriously, her eyes betraying nothing of her feelings at the moment. Umi watched as Yuri placed the two daggers into her hands, the cool metal heating up at her touch and the edges turning the same shade green as her eyes and glowing slightly. She gasped slightly as she let her hands feel the familiar metal in her palm, the weight and every curve of the elegant hilt designed specifically made for her hands. She knew that Yuri had kept these for her while a matching set was hidden somewhere on her person at all times. She watched Yuri look back at Sesshomaru with an unreadable expression before walking out of the room, leaving Umi alone again with Sesshomaru, a small smirk on his handsome face

. "I'll take care of the remaining instruction for today." He said and watched her as she walked to the other side facing the demon lord with confidence in her easy step. "Well, show me what you got…Fluffy." Umi smirked as he blinked slowly before they began their dance. Umi was surprised by how easy it felt moving like this with him. They weaved in and out of one another with a grace that was beyond anything human at a speed that would have killed most mortals in a heartbeat. Their eyes never once strayed from one another, locked and filled with a passion that was building more and more each second they moved, brushing past one another in a dangerous dance of power and blades and claw. Her heart was racing so fast she almost didn't know how she was even able to breathe at all. Finally with an unspoken word the both of them stopped. Sesshomaru's strong arms were wrapped around her and she was pulled in close to him, her eyes locked with his. He pulled her close and she closed her eyes, feeling his arms wrapped around her tightly and reveling in the warmth and softness of the fluffy thing wrapped around him. Yuri was the furthest thing from her mind…


End file.
